Must Love Basketball
by SugarLandBabyGirl
Summary: For these hardcore teenage boy's there is little outside of basketball that they find much interest in, but who ever said that the girl's in their lives must love basketball as much as they do to be with them?
1. -1- Seirin High: Kiyoshi Teppei

******Disclaimer: Characters and other recognizable things in this story belong to their respective copyright holders. The only things that I own are the original characters and plot of this story. I am making no money from writing this fan work. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**A/N:** Yeah, it's another series _but_ this one is for my new favorite anime/manga: _Kuroko no Basuke_. I just love it! I've been working on this one for awhile, trying to get it right and now... well it may not be prefect and I probably messed up Teppei's character - but I had to post it and see what you readers think of it. Teppei needs more love; as a matter of fact _they all do!_ He's one of my top favorite guys along with Himuro; they're kind of tied because I can't decide between the two, not that I should have to in the first place. :P

This will a Series of one-shots revolving around most, if not all, of the cannon boys. Some may be used more than once or twice or three times, depending on my muse. My personal favorites will probably be used more than the others. Also, this is Prompt #139 from_ 'creative writing prompts . com'._

**Pairing: **[Seirin High: Kiyoshi Teppei x Unidentified]

Take care lovely readers! :D

~ SugarLandBabyGirl

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**Must Love Basketball**

| |_** Kuroko no Basuke - Kiyoshi Teppei**_ | |

The hallway was silent, too silent in fact to be considered normal.

The quiet disturbed her and she found that she couldn't properly concentrate on her after school duties. She couldn't _function _without that background noise anymore, because it reassured her that things were as they should be and she didn't want that to change.

Her unfounded agitation only continued to worsen the longer the unnatural quiet lingered throughout the hallway leading to the school gym.

With a puzzled frown she glanced up at the clock steadily ticking away the hour and her brow furrowed when she saw that her right to be suspicious of the silence was confirmed.

It was far too early for the basketball team to have disbanded already.

They were beyond dedicated to make it to the finals this year, to prove their worth to everyone who thought that they were a joke.

So what was with this annoying silence?

She had long since become accustomed to the rhythmic pounding of a basketball against the polished hardwood floor, along with the accompanying squeaking of shoes and raised voices as the players ran around court trying to better their skills.

Once upon a time, not so very long ago those noises annoyed her to the point of causing migraines and many heated arguments with the team's coach and the players.

But that was then and things had, no–_she _had changed, and now she found that the silence was... just _not right_.

It didn't take long before curiosity coupled with a hefty dose of annoyance forced her to leave the empty room and search out the reason why there was no noise of any kind coming from the gym.

Surely they hadn't left already. She reasoned that if that were the case, then she would have heard the shrill whistle Seirin's young coach was so fond of abusing.

More than once she had seriously considered ripping that godforsaken thing off the coach's neck and stomping it into a fine silver dust that would make even fairies jealous.

So far, she had refrained from doing something so drastic. That didn't mean the urge wasn't still there though, because it was and on particularly bad days when her patience was at its thinnest, her fingers tended to twitch restlessly as if possessed by something malevolent.

Her quiet yet steady footfalls made little noise on the floor as she neared the double-door entry.

Far from being shy, the seventeen-year-old didn't hesitate before unceremoniously waltzing into the spacious room unannounced. Only to stop dead in her tracks moments later when the scene playing out before her actually registered in her mind.

"Oh," The breath left her lungs in a soft, near silent noise of surprise and awe as her cheeks flushed a soft rosy hue. To say she was shocked would have been an understatement, but to say she was disgusted would have been a burning lie that not even the devil could have swallowed.

Because the image before her was nothing short of breathtakingly beautiful and a bit hormonally stimulating, especially for a high school girl with a deeply secret crush.

Seemingly lost deep within his thoughts, the previous sole occupant of the room hadn't yet noticed her presence and for that small favor, she was immensely grateful. It would do no good for either of them if he were to turn around and notice _her _gawking at his sweaty, half-naked physique.

She was pretty sure that he liked someone else, if his observed actions towards said person were anything to go by. He was too good of a person for her anyway. He deserved someone better than her. Still, the thought of him with someone else stung in the worst of ways. She would just have to get over it though and move on, eventually.

Why he had no shirt on in the air-conditioned gym, she didn't know nor did she care. He had no reason to be ashamed of his body at any rate. He was perfect in her eyes; tall with the right amount of muscle on his athletically slender form and a smile that very nearly brought her to her knees every time he graced her with one.

After a moment common sense overrode her hormone induced stupor and she realized that she needed to disappear in a hurry, before he noticed her and awkwardness ensued. Holding her breath, she carefully stepped back, moving to exit the gym just as quickly and quietly as she had entered.

He would never even know that she, the so-called 'annoying girl' that everyone in Seirin High thought hated basketball with a passion had been there, invading his private time when he clearly wanted to be alone with whatever was plaguing him.

Unfortunately, luck was not with her. As soon as the heel of her shoe touched the hardwood floor a loud squeak pierced the silence. She instantly froze up as his head snapped up and around to see who or what had made the noise. His gaze held hers captive as soon as they met and in that moment, she swore her heart stopped beating.

The tall Center's surprised features slowly morphed into one of recognition, before relaxing into a softer, more polite half-smile that didn't quite reach his dark eyes. He nervously shuffled the basketball tucked loosely to his hip, his fingertips gently teasing the raised, bumpy surface of the ball and unknowingly causing the girl to shiver at the action.

"I'm sorry if I was making too much noise." He started moderately, flashing another half-smile that made her want to cringe at the falseness of it being directed at her, _because _of her. "I didn't think anyone else was here."

"N-no," Her voice was whispery soft and the unusual stutter really did make her cringe. Good grief, she was acting like a right idiot. Where was all the fire, the bravado that she was infamously known and quietly disliked by nearly the entire student body for?

"_No_!" She burst out through a dry, heavy throat. Her face flamed from the sudden loud and desperateness of her tone and even he seemed surprised by her outburst.

"No," She immediately amended in a somewhat normal tone, her features softening of their own accord. "You're fine, it's fine. I wasn't bothered at all..." Her voice started to drift off into a murmur as her fingers twined themselves together in a nervous habit.

"In fact, I came here because... because of how quiet it had become. I've become so used to the noise that the quiet made me curious." She admitted at last, her gaze dropping in shame. After all of the fuss she had made over how much noise the basketball team had been making and now admitting that it didn't bother her. Well, he probably though her stupid or bipolar now.

"I'm really sorry if I disturbed you, I didn't mean to barge in while you were practicing and throw you off. I know an important match is coming up and that you need to concentrate on winning and the game plan..." She knew she was rambling on like a lunatic but she just couldn't seem to stop from embarrassing herself further. She had already pulled the noose around her neck, so why not go ahead and kick the chair out from under her feet as well?

His head tilted slightly to the side showing his curiosity at her vast knowledge of the team's goal. No one on the team, including him, had pegged her for knowing even the basics and yet, it seemed like she knew more than most of them put together. "Do you like basketball?" He asked when she finally took a breath.

"I… I don't dislike it, but I don't love it either. I can't," She admitted, glancing away briefly to collect her feelings. "My father used to play when he was in high school. He was pretty good too; everyone was sure that he had a future in the NBA, until… the accident." Here she paused, and pain flashed across her features at the memory.

"The injury was so bad that even after he had healed, he couldn't play anymore without the risk of permanent damage. He didn't take the news so well and…" Her breath hitched in her throat, as fat tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes, but she forcefully shoved them away. She wouldn't leave him guessing and he deserved the truth behind her aversion for basketball.

"He still loves basketball as much as he did before; he'll never stop loving basketball. It was his _life_ and then with a cruel twist of fate, he had _nothing_; all of his dreams, _gone_. He hasn't been the same since and I _can't_ love something that nearly destroyed my father." Her voice was nearly a broken yell by the time she finished her story. She sucked in a deep breath trying to calm her racing heart and the mixed emotions that always seem to explode from her when she thought of basketball.

Teppei knew where she was coming from. The pain of nearly losing it all… he had felt it. He knew at least half of what her father had gone though, what he was still going through. Mindlessly he shifted the basketball and watched as her features softened in knowing. So, she knew about his injury too, about how serious it was.

"He taught me the game, you know." She admitted. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he heard her loud and clear. She seemed determined to not meet his eyes. "Ever since I could walk he had placed his shattered hopes in me, his daughter, that I would love the game as much as he does… and I did, once. I did love it…" Here she finally let their gazes meet.

"Please be careful, Kiyoshi-kun. Please don't let something you love so much destroy you." She pleaded, very nearly in tears again. "I don't want to see you break apart. I wouldn't be able to stand it."

Her passionate outcry for his wellbeing surprised him more so than the unexpected casual use of his name. She truly cared about him, about the safety of the team, he realized. His expression softened as did his more rigid feelings towards her that had built up over the years. Everything that had transpired between the team and her since their first year had been a complete misunderstanding, and all on their part.

"I can't promise you that I won't get hurt," He told her sincerely. He felt bad when her eyes flashed in pain again. He had to protect his team, but he wasn't heartless. "_But_, I'll do my best." He gave her a soft smile, hoping to lift her spirits just a little. He was rewarded with a small, but true smile in return and an understanding nod.

"Thank you. That's… that's more than I should ask of you to give." Her tone was returning back to the calm and in control one he was all too familiar with, but it was softer now. There were no more hard feelings on her part. Not after she had bared her soul for him to see just how scarred it was.

"I won't cause you or your team anymore trouble. I promise." She bowed after giving him a small smile and turned to leave.

Teppei had no idea what possessed him to do it. Maybe it was the lingering unease he felt at seeing her walk away, but before he could stop himself, not that he really wanted to, he called out to her his body moving towards her on its own accord in an attempt to make her stay. "Hey, wait!"

She seemed more surprised than him as she turned half-way to see what it was that he wanted. For several moments he was speechless and fidgeted having no idea what to say to her now that he had her attention. It wasn't until he shifted and felt the light weight of the basketball in his hands that something came to mind.

"Do you want to shoot a few rounds with me?" There was a light heat warming his cheeks, but he ignored it in favor of waiting, somewhat nervously, for her answer. He fully expected her to say no after hearing the story of what had happened to her father. He wouldn't blame her if she did. He just hoped that his request wouldn't be met with tears or a lashing out of anger. He didn't want her to cry anymore.

The silence was deafening and the longer it lingered between them the worse he began to feel. His gaze dropped to the basketball in his hand in defeat. He shouldn't have asked. He should have just let her leave. This was one of the worst ideas he'd ever had. She was sure to hate him now.

"… Sure, I'd love to." She finally answered. His head snapped up to see that she was smiling so softly at him, her eyes shining warmly. A slow smile curled on his lips, which only widened when she turned back towards him and held her hands up – ready and waiting for him to pass it to her.

She caught the ball easily and dribbled it experimentally a few times, testing its weight and feel with the hand of someone who knew how to play. He could already tell that she wasn't a rookie at the game by any means. She had to have played basketball for several years already.

Then her eyes boldly caught his and she shot him a playful yet challenging smirk that both surprised and intrigued him. "It's been awhile since I've played, but I won't go easy on you, _Iron Heart_."

Smiling wider, he gave a short but humored laugh and shook his head at her tenacity before he moved into position. He could already tell that this was going to be so much fun. "I wouldn't expect you to." His excitement was all too clear through his voice as he practically sang. "Let's have fun~!"


	2. -2- Yōsen High: Himuro Tatsuya

**A/N:** _Oh god_, this is so angsty that it's pathetic! It wasn't supposed to be angst! Poor Himuro, I've ruined him! Ugh, right now, I'm thinking that there might be a continuation of this... but I don't know. I'll have to think on it a little more. What do you readers think, should there be a follow up?

**Pairing:** [Yōsen High: Himuro Tatsuya x Unidentified]

Please don't kill me for making this so damn angsty!

~ SLBG

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**Must Love Basketball**

| | _**Kuroko no Basuke – Himuro Tatsuya**_ | |

With the chances of them ever seeing one another being less than zero, he left her behind with no promises of a future together and in doing so managed to break two hearts simultaneously.

He didn't want to breakup with her.

That had been the very last thing he wanted to do. But when he had to move back to Japan with his family, leaving her behind in America, he knew that no matter how much they cared about each other, it just wouldn't work.

That much distance would have been too much to overcome, too stressful on both of them keep their relationship working. Their lives were headed in two separate directions and neither road looked to lead them back to the other.

His parents wouldn't let him stay with her family in America, no matter how much they liked her.

Her parents would never allow their only child to move so far away from where she had been born and raised, from them, just for a High School romance that would probably end sooner rather than later.

He understood their reasoning, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

He didn't see their relationship as flippantly as they did and neither did she. In the eyes of their families they were nothing but love-struck teenagers, that didn't know anything about real life.

There were a lot of things he didn't know about life and love, but the one thing he knew for certain was that there was something deep between them. It had been there almost from the very beginning and had only developed further over time.

It had begun one summers' evening when she had asked if he and Taiga would teach her how to play basketball. She was terrible at the game, truly, but she tried. She gave it her all and that was something he later came to love about her. Her determination was unrivaled and when she set her mind to do something, _she did it_.

She got better over time, but conceded that she didn't have the talent that they did for the game. She didn't have the talent for it, but she always cheered for the both of them when they played, even against each other. She never favored him over Taiga or vice versa, even after they started dating and the two boys had their disagreements. Taiga was as much her best friend and brother as he was his.

Yes, she had her quirks but they made her, _her_.

Her smile was a little on the crooked side and she had braces on her teeth up until her thirteenth birthday. Even with her teeth now perfectly straight, she rarely gave an open mouthed smile. When she did though, it was beautiful.

When she truly laughed it was always silent with her eyes tightly closed and her sneezes were hilariously high pitched. Sometimes she could even trip over thin air. Whenever she wore headphones she would sing aloud and she had to wear glasses to read. She hated using stairs, but could jog for hours.

She liked to eat pizza cold, the taste of Root Beer, preferred the smell of fresh mint leaves over floral fragrances, was absolutely terrified of flying and heights, and she unconsciously chewed on her fingernails when she was nervous.

Her Japanese pronunciation was terrible, barely intelligible when she tried to say more than a simple phrase, but he loved the way she said his name in either language. He loved the way her nose would scrunch up when he purposely teased her by using Japanese phrases or words that she didn't know and wouldn't tell her what they meant.

She burned easily in the sun, but she loved the sound of the ocean waves breaking against the beach and the feel of the summer sun on her skin. She had an odd fascination with body piercings, but was too afraid of getting more than just her earlobes pierced.

She could stay up for hours playing a videogame she had already beaten several times. She had no preference in music and listened to whatever she was in the mood for. She favored action and adventure movies over romance, sneakers over high heels, and jeans and tank tops over dresses.

She never wore much make-up, but when she did it was very little and natural looking. She always fussed over her hair because it never styled like she wanted, but she liked the wind in her hair when she rode in or drove her father's '91 T-top Camaro RS.

She loved that shiny light metallic blue car, and hoped to call it her own one day.

He knew that her parents planned to gift 'Old Blue', as they affectionately named it, to her as a birthday and graduation present when she turned eighteen. He wished that he could be there to see her expression. She would be so happy.

She wasn't perfect, but to him she was perfectly imperfect. He wouldn't have her any other way.

It had been nagging at him for some time, teasing him and threatening to roll off his tongue at the most random moments, but he hadn't known for sure until the plane had lifted off the ground. He was in love with her, and now he would never see her again thanks to cruel fate and his own hand in the matter.

He wasn't ashamed to say that he had cried that day. He had wept for what he had to leave behind and what he was sure he would never have again. The regret of all the things he didn't say or do stung. He should have told her just how much she meant to him when he had the chance. He should have let her known that she was all he had ever wanted.

He regretted having hurt her by breaking off their relationship so coldly, when all he wanted was to pull her close and never let her go, not ever.

But maybe it was better this way, he reasoned. If she didn't know just how much he loved her, then there would be no illusions for her to hold onto and eventually, she would be able to move on. He hated knowing he wouldn't have any part in her future, even as a friend.

At least she had Taiga there to comfort her after he left. That was of some small comfort to him, knowing that his little brother would be there to look after her. It wouldn't last forever. Taiga would eventually move back to Japan, as well. It was inevitable. But for a little while longer, she'd still have one of them there.

Having conceded that he would never see her again, Himuro couldn't suppress his visible shock when a familiar voice unexpectedly called out to Taiga and drew both of the teen's attention away from what they had been doing previously, as well as several others.

There she was, like a bittersweet dream, standing next to Alex and waving happily at the openmouthed redhead who appeared just as shocked as Himuro felt to see her.

She got on an airplane, _willingly and by herself_? They unknowingly shared the same thought.

She looked no worse for the wear, though a little intimidated of the surrounding crowd of unknown, but similarly aged boys. The sight of a familiar, friendly face however caused that rare beautiful smile to light up her features wonderfully.

If it were possible, Himuro could have sworn that he had fallen in love with her all over again.

Taiga finally managed a small wave of his own when most of the shock wore off and was immediately rewarded with a tight but comfortable hug from the seventeen year old girl. She was so happy to see him again that she looked ready to cry. Taiga hesitantly pat her back in an effort to stall the forthcoming tears and scolded her for jumping him so unexpectedly, but he smiled. He was just as glad to see her as she was to see him.

Himuro smiled just a little at his little brother's awkwardness.

When she pulled away from the much taller teen they habitually began to converse in English and successfully confused almost everyone within earshot.

Taiga's teammates began to mutter and argue among themselves about how he had the fortune of knowing two pretty American girls. One wondered aloud if she was his girlfriend since they seemed so close and Himuro felt the first intense flare of jealousy. He managed to shake it off though.

They didn't know any better and… _she wasn't his anymore_.

She was right in front of him, well within his reach for the first time in so long. He had but to extend his arms and she would be in his embrace, where she belonged… but she wasn't there for him. She was there for Taiga, the one who hadn't broken her heart. He was the one who had been there for her.

She hadn't spared a glance in his direction, not knowing that he was there. He was well hidden amongst the majority of dark haired individuals and not as easy to spot as Taiga's shock of red hair. If she knew, would she even give him the time of day anymore? He had hurt her so deeply. Would she be able to forgive him?

A pained expression crossed his features. He hadn't known he had spoken aloud, until Taiga and Alex gently turned her towards his direction by her shoulders. He had called her name out of reflex and the pain he felt at being ignored, though unintentional, was all too obvious in his soft tone. It was a plea for her to look at him, to acknowledge him in some way.

She was clearly confused as they steered her around until she finally spotted him standing amongst his teammates. It took a moment, but when it registered that he was actually there, she really did begin to cry. Old habits die hard, and Himuro didn't even think, he just acted.

She was hurt, in need of comfort, and he acted as he would have before the breakup, as he had before.

He quickly strode over and wrapped his arms around her. Her hands found purchase on his clothes, but he wasn't sure if she was trying to pull him closer or push him away, or maybe do both. He hoped that she wasn't trying to push him away. He would have understood had that been the case. She was sobbing now and he closed his eyes in shared pain knowing he had done this to her.

His began to shush her softly, as his fingers found her unbound hair and began to gently massage her scalp. He laid his cheek against the top of her head softly inhaling her sweet, familiar scent. He had missed the way she fit against his taller body so perfectly. He missed the way her lips felt against his. He missed everything about her.

He had just missed her so, so damn much.

Her sobs began to soften, but still he held on to her, unwilling to let her go again. It wasn't until she whispered his name and gently pulled away that he finally released her, albeit very reluctantly. He had thought that walking away from her had been hard, but he was wrong. This was ten times harder.

She refused to meet his gaze and tried to brush away the remaining tears discreetly. She had missed some and his hand reached up to brush them away. Her bottom lip trembled from the soft brush of his skin against hers and she briefly spared a glance at him before looking away once more. He was disappointed by this reaction but, he had half expected a similar response.

He all but whispered her name, as his hand cupped her face. "Please, look at me." She bit her lip and slowly, ever so slowly met his gaze. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I never thought we would see each other again. I thought you would be better off… I was wrong, so wrong. Please, forgive me."

Her expression turned eerily placid and he felt his heart freeze in terror.

He knew it. He had ruined them, and now she was going to tell him that his apology was too little too late. That she didn't care about him anymore. That the damage he had done to them was irrevocable. He was certain that she was about to break his heart, as he had so cruelly done to hers.

"Tatsuya," Her voice was so soft that he barely heard her, but he was so tuned into her that he noticed every little thing about her. Nothing mattered but her. "I love you," His breath was knocked right out of him at her confession and his heart soared in hope, and yet, he still felt uneasy. "But, I just don't understand why? Why did you… _say_ those horrible things?"

She choked on her words; the memory was still too painful.

"I… surely we could've made it work, somehow." She was still trying to find the reasoning behind his abrupt dismissal. She still had some hope left in her broken heart for _them_.

"Yes," He resigned to the truth of her statement with a soft breath. His thumb brushed the last tear from her flushed face and he had to fight the urge to kiss her, to make things better between them with actions instead of words. "You're right. I should have done things differently."

Hesitantly, her hand reached up and grasped his, holding it steady against her cheek. He watched in wonder and sadness as she finally leaned into his touch, her watery eyes sliding closed. In that moment Himuro Tatsuya swore to himself that he would make things right between them, even if it took the rest of his life. From that moment on, he would make it right.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead lovingly, not caring what anyone watching would think. "I love you,"


End file.
